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OBJECTIVES: Current surgical policy recommends comprehensive excision of tumorous calcifications in breast cancer patients following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) regardless of MRI outcomes, despite MRI defining tumor response superior to mammography. The current study examines MRI prediction of response in tumors with vs without calcifications, using post-NAC surgical pathology as the standard of reference. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 114 NAC patients between 2011 and 2018 including demographics, mammography, 3 T-MRI, and pathology compared two sub-groups: without (n = 62) or with (n = 52) mammographic calcifications. In the calcification cohort, the mammographic extent of calcifications and MRI enhancement overlapped. MRI prediction of response to NAC was correlated with pathology. Two-tailed paired T and Fisher's exact tests and Cohen's kappa coefficient were applied for analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two sub-groups regarding demographics. Tumors demonstrated equivalent features regarding size, lymph node involvement, and DCIS component. ER-negative/HER2-positive tumors more commonly exhibited calcifications (33% n = 17 calcified vs 13% n = 8 non-calcified; p < 0.05); triple negative pathology rarely calcified (6% n = 3 calcified vs 33% n = 20 non-calcified; p < 0.05). NME was more common with calcifications (62% n = 32 calcified vs 29% n = 18 non-calcified; p < 0.05) and mass enhancement without (90% n = 56 non-calcified vs 81% n = 42 calcified; p < 0.05). Both groups responded similarly to NAC (pCR = 37% non-calcified vs 38% calcified); response on MRI equally correlated with pathology (69% both subgroups; p = 0.988). CONCLUSION: We propose utilizing post-NAC MRI findings rather than mammography in planning surgery, as MRI prediction is independent of the presence or absence of calcifications. Prospective studies to evaluate this approach are warranted. KEY POINTS: • No difference was found in demographic, clinical, pathology, or imaging characteristics between patients with or without tumoral calcifications on mammography prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. • Residual mammographic calcifications are inadequate predictors of residual invasive disease. MRI accurately recognized complete response and correctly correlated with post-treatment surgical pathology in 69% of patients, regardless of the presence or absence of mammographic calcifications. • We propose utilizing post-NAC MRI findings rather than mammography in planning post-NAC surgery, as MRI prediction of response is independent of the presence or absence of calcifications.

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BACKGROUND: Germline BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant (PV) carriers have high lifetime risk of developing breast cancer and therefore subjected to intense lifetime screening. However, solid data on the effectiveness of high-risk screening of the BRCA1/2 carrier population is limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, we analyzed 346 women diagnosed with breast tumors. Patients were divided according to the timing of BRCA1/2 PVrecognition, before (BRCA-preDx awareness, N = 62) or after (BRCA-postDx awareness group, N = 284) cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: Median follow-up times were 131.42 and 93.77 months in the BRCA-preDx awareness and BRCA-postDx awareness groups, respectively. In the BRCA-preDx awareness group, 78.7% of the patients had invasive tumors and 21.3% were diagnosed with pure ductal carcinoma in situ. In contrast, in the BRCA-postDx awareness group over 93% of women were diagnosed with invasive cancer and only 6.4% had in situ disease. The mode of tumor detection differed significantly between the groups: 71.9% in the BRCA-postDx awareness group and 26.2% in the BRCA-preDx awareness group were diagnosed after personally palpating a lump. Tumor size and nodal involvement were significantly more favorable in the BRCA-preDx awareness group. T stage was significantly lower in the BRCA-preDx awareness group: 54.84% at T1 and 20.96% at Tis. In the BRCA-postDx awareness group, only 37.54% were at T1 and 6.49% at Tis. The N stage was also significantly lower in the BRCA-preDx awareness group: 71% had no lymph node metastases, compared with 56.1% in the BRCA-postDx awareness group. Additionally, therapeutic procedures varied between the groups: BRCA-preDx awareness group patients underwent more breast conserving surgeries. Axillary lymph node dissection was done in 38% of women in the BRCA-postDx awareness group and in only 8.7% of the BRCA-preDx awareness group patients. Interestingly, improved survival was found among patients who underwent high-risk screening (hazard ratio=0.34). CONCLUSIONS: High-risk screening might facilitate downstaging of detected breast tumor among BRCA1/2 carrier population.

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Investigation of hyperpolarized substrate metabolism has been showing utility in real-time determination of in-cell and in vivo enzymatic activities. Intracellular reaction rates may vary during the course of a measurement, even on the very short time scales of visibility on hyperpolarized MR, due to many factors such as the availability of the substrate and co-factors in the intracellular space. Despite this potential variation, the kinetic analysis of hyperpolarized signals typically assumes that the same rate constant (and in many cases, the same rate) applies throughout the course of the reaction as observed via the build-up and decay of the hyperpolarized signals. We demonstrate here an acquisition approach that can null the need for such an assumption and enable the detection of instantaneous changes in the rate of the reaction during an ex vivo hyperpolarized investigation, (i.e. in the course of the decay of one hyperpolarized substrate dose administered to a viable tissue sample ex vivo). This approach utilizes hyperpolarized product selective saturating-excitation pulses. Similar pulses have been previously utilized in vivo for spectroscopic imaging. However, we show here favorable consequences to kinetic rate determinations in the preparations used. We implement this acquisition strategy for studies on perfused tissue slices and develop a theory that explains why this particular approach enables the determination of changes in enzymatic rates that are monitored via the chemical conversions of hyperpolarized substrates. Real-time changes in intracellular reaction rates are demonstrated in perfused brain, liver, and xenograft breast cancer tissue slices and provide another potential differentiation parameter for tissue characterization.

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[1-13C]pyruvate, the most widely used compound in dissolution-dynamic nuclear polarization (dDNP) magnetic resonance (MR), enables the visualization of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. This activity had been demonstrated in a wide variety of cancer models, ranging from cultured cells, to xenograft models, to human tumors in situ. Here we quantified the LDH activity in precision cut tumor slices (PCTS) of breast cancer xenografts. The Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF7) cell-line was chosen as a model for the luminal breast cancer type which is hormone responsive and is highly prevalent. The LDH activity, which was manifested as [1-13C]lactate production in the tumor slices, ranged between 3.8 and 6.1 nmole/nmole adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) in 1 min (average 4.6 ± 1.0) on three different experimental set-ups consisting of arrested vs. continuous perfusion and non-selective and selective RF pulsation schemes and combinations thereof. This rate was converted to an expected LDH activity in a mass ranging between 3.3 and 5.2 µmole/g in 1 min, using the ATP level of these tumors. This indicated the likely utility of this approach in clinical dDNP of the human breast and may be useful as guidance for treatment response assessment in a large number of tumor types and therapies ex vivo.

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BACKGROUND: Sonographic evaluation of congenital skeletal dysplasias is often challenging. Ultrasound may be limited in demonstrating the skeleton and may overlook specific signs of skeletal abnormality. Computed tomography (CT) with 3D reconstruction was proposed as an aid in the diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. OBJECTIVES: To describe our experience with 3D-CT imaging for the evaluation of suspected skeletal dysplasias. METHODS: The study group comprised 20 pregnant women carrying 22 fetuses, referred for further evaluation by CT following sonographic suspicion of fetal skeletal dysplasia at 17-39 weeks of gestation. Examinations were performed using various CT protocols. Radiation exposure was decreased during the study period, with eventual lowering of the dose to 1-3 mSv. Meticulous review of the skeleton and long bone measurements were performed on 3D reconstructions. For cases of pregnancy termination, the postmortem diagnosis was compared retrospectively with the CT findings. RESULTS: Very low dose CT protocols provided excellent diagnostic images. Of 22 fetuses suspected of having skeletal dysplasia on ultrasound, 8 were found by CT to be dysplastic and in 7 the pregnancy was terminated. Postmortem findings, when available, concurred with the CT diagnosis. The remaining 14 fetuses within this cohort were found to be normal according to CT and were carried to term. CONCLUSIONS: 3D-CT may be a valuable complimentary imaging tool to ultrasound for the diagnosis of skeletal dysplasias. With low dose protocols, this examination is relatively safe, and in the appropriate clinical context may assist in making difficult decisions prenatally.

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OBJECTIVE: To compare the obstetric characteristics of twin pregnancies conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and ovulation induction with those conceived spontaneously. DESIGN: Case control study. SETTING: Tertiary Medical Center. PATIENTS: All twin deliveries that were achieved by IVF (n=558) and ovulation induction (n=478) from January 1988 through December 2002 were evaluated. Each group was compared with a control group that conceived spontaneously (n=3694) and was delivered during the same period. INTERVENTIONS: Ovulation induction, IVF-ET. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Obstetrical complications. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that patients who conceived with the assistance of IVF and ovulation induction had a significantly higher risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR]=2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.77-3.29 and OR=1.71, CI=1.2-2.42, respectively), cesarean section (OR=2.17, 95% CI=1.74-2.70 and OR=1.76, CI=1.43-2.16, respectively), and a lower gestational age at birth in the IVF group (OR=0.91, 95% CI=0.88-0.94), compared with their controls. CONCLUSIONS: After controlling for maternal age, and nulliparity we demonstrated that twin pregnancies conceived with the assistance of IVF and ovulation induction are at increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus, and delivery by cesarean section. In addition, IVF conceived pregnancies have a lower gestational age at birth.

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